Welcome to the Mr. Local History Project
“A 501c3 Non-Profit Dedicated to Preserving and Promoting Jersey History with a Social Twist”
The Mr. Local History Project brings New Jersey’s past into the present through the stories of real places, real people, and real communities. Focused especially on New Jersey history, the project celebrates local history in a way that feels personal, engaging, and relevant- not something locked away in textbooks, but history that lives where we live. As we head into 2026, the 250th anniversary of the United States, Mr. Local History is turning history into a shared experience. With a social twist, this is about connecting online and in the community, sharing memories, spotlighting hometown stories, and honoring New Jersey’s outsized role in America’s founding. It is history you can explore, share, and be part of together.
Today in America’s History (We Update Every Day)
- 1776: American Revolutionary War: British forces successfully land at Kip's Bay, forcing the Continental Army, which was already withdrawing from New York City, to cede control of the lower half of Manhattan Island.
- 1789: The United States "Department of Foreign Affairs", established by law in July, is renamed the Department of State and given a variety of domestic duties.
- 1794: French Revolutionary Wars: Arthur Wellesley (later Duke of Wellington) sees his first combat at the Battle of Boxtel during the Flanders Campaign.
- 1862: American Civil War: Confederate forces capture Harpers Ferry, Virginia.
- 1958: A Central Railroad of New Jersey commuter train runs through an open drawbridge at the Newark Bay, killing 48.
- 1959: Nikita Khrushchev becomes the first Soviet leader to visit the United States.
- 1963: Baptist Church bombing: Four children are killed in the bombing of an African-American church in Birmingham, Alabama, United States.
- 1966: U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson, responding to a sniper attack at the University of Texas at Austin, writes a letter to Congress urging the enactment of gun control legislation.
- 1981: The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approves Sandra Day O'Connor to become the first female justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
- 1981: The John Bull becomes the oldest operable steam locomotive in the world when the Smithsonian Institution operates it under its own power outside Washington, D.C.
What Can You Do Today to Celebrate America’s 250th?
Our Readers’ Top 10 MLH Posts this Week
Latest Posts
Congress Declares A New Nation: Call Us “United States” Not “United Colonies” September 9, 1776
Views: 131 September 9, 1776 Two months after approving the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress took another important step in defining the new nation. On September 9, 1776, Congress ordered that the term “United Colonies” be replaced by “The…
THE 9.11 Ground Zero American Flag That Vanished for 13 Years
Views: 175 Raised above the ruins of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, this one American flag became an immediate symbol of courage, unity, and a nation that refused to surrender. Yet within hours of inspiring millions, the…
#911neverforget in the Somerset Hills
Views: 10,735 Twenty-five years ago, on the clear, crisp morning at 8:46 am on September 11, 2001, the first plane hit the North Tower, and our community was changed forever. Please take a moment to remember those 21 residents from…
Bernardsville’s Huffman-Koos and Finley Manor Hotel Memories
Views: 300 Long before Walgreens occupied the busy corner of Route 202 and North Finley Avenue, the property was home to one of Bernardsville’s more unusual redevelopment stories. What began as a large furniture showroom sat vacant for nearly a…
25 of New Jersey’s Oldest Taverns & Inns Still Serving Today
Views: 307 Eating Your Way Through New Jersey History Long before New Jersey had diners, highways, turnpikes, or even became a state, the local tavern often served as the center of community life. These were places where a traveler could…
Native American Trails History In Northern New Jersey
Views: 205 Long before anyone divided North and Central Jersey, Native American people lived, hunted, farmed, and traveled throughout the region. Archaeological evidence shows an Indigenous presence in New Jersey extending back more than 10,000 years. When Europeans arrived during…
Day Trips – Four Historic New Jersey Fall Locations You Must See
Views: 9,891 The 2026 Fall Foliage Map is the ultimate visual planning guide to the annual progression of leaf change. While no tool can be 100% accurate, this tool is designed to help travelers better time their trips to maximize their chances…
Fall Is In the Air – So Much to Do and See in Mr. Local History’s 2026 Fall Magazine
Views: 483 Fall in New Jersey is more than colorful leaves, crisp mornings, and roadside farm stands; it is a season filled with great history and stories. In this issue, the Mr. Local History research team travels from the historic…
So What Defines Peapack Village from Gladstone’s Village
Views: 460 Certainly, everyone knows when they’re in Peapack and when they’re in Gladstone, right? First off, a little clarification: the “Established 1701” on the borough’s sign date refers to the Peapack Patent, when the land encompassing present-day Peapack-Gladstone was…
A Historic Boardwalk on Jersey’s Lake Mohawk
Views: 258 Just when you think you know everything about New Jersey, the state pulls another surprise from its seemingly bottomless bag of tricks. We already have ocean beaches, mountains, waterfalls, sprawling farms, colonial villages, busy cities, and some of…
Bardy Farms: From a Russian Immigrant’s Fields to a Somerset County Farming Dynasty
Views: 917 Walk into Bardy Farms on Washington Valley Road in Warren Township, and you are entering one of New Jersey’s increasingly rare family farm businesses. Fresh produce still fills the market, plants crowd the greenhouses in Spring, pumpkins arrive…
Our Fall 2026 Magazine is HERE!
Full of great local Jersey History to keep you on the edge of your history seat.
Special Edition – America’s 250th The SEMI-QUIN-CENTENNIAL is HERE!
See our special digital magazine. Full of great local Jersey History.
